Daiwa Expects Record Foreign Investors at Forum as Muto Speaks

Toshiro Hasegawa and Kana Nishizawa

February 18, 2013 — 10:00 AM EST

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. expects a record attendance by foreign investors at its Japanese equity conference next month where Toshiro Muto, a potential candidate as the next Bank of Japan governor, is scheduled to speak.

More than 300 foreign investors registered for the event to be held at the Prince Park Tower Tokyo from March 4 to 8, surpassing the previous record of 234 attendees in 2011, Hidefumi Saho, executive director of Daiwa’s corporate access department, said by phone yesterday. Muto is one of three likely governor contenders, according to Citigroup Inc.

BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa and two of his deputies are set to step down on March 19. The yen has tumbled about 16 percent versus the dollar in the past three months as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced spending increases and pressured the BOJ to boost monetary easing, while the Nikkei 225 Stock Average surged 26 percent.

Other speakers at the event include Rogers Holdings Chairman Jim Rogers and Shigeru Ishiba, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, according to Daiwa’s event pamphlet. The gathering will also enable investors to interact with top officials at companies including Japan Exchange Group Inc., Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. and Japan Airlines Co.